Family Reunion
by ChocolatyBrown
Summary: Annabeth returns home.


Family Reunion

"If you need anything, just call for me." Fredrick Chase said with a smile on his face. To his credit, he managed to keep the nervousness out of his voice. But she could still sense the slightly tensed way he handled himself around her, the careful choice of his words. Annabeth nodded, responding with a smile of her own. It was a hesitant, almost shy smile, but it was sincere nonetheless. To be honest, she wasn't doing much better than her father.

In her defence, it's been a really long time since she was home.

"I think I can handle myself pretty well, don't you think?" She said, raising an eyebrow and deepening her smile, determined on breaking whatever ice she was feeling. It was her father for goodness's sake. To her heart's content, he gave a soft chuckle, and seemed to relax a bit.

A few seconds passed before Fredrick nodded and walked out of the room, swinging the door closed after him. Annabeth turned to face her room- her old, childhood room. It's was practically unchanged from her last day in it, save for the dust that accumulated on the stacks of books and pretty much every other surface.

She walked around, touching the covers of the top books. Noticing that the dust layer isn't as thick as she expected, she gave a hint of a smile. Maybe someone has been looking after her room while she was gone after all. She then took a few steps back to the centre of the room, where her bed was, and let herself drop onto her back. A decent puff of dust was launched into the air, choking her.

"Bloody hell," She coughed, sitting upright. "I take it back; this room wasn't touched in a decade." The cough fit continued for a few seconds before the air cleared. Annabeth looked around, a surreal feeling flooding her. She was in her room, in her house, with her father, after all those years.

She let out a small sigh. She still remembered the day she left with Luke and Thalia to head to Camp Half-Blood as clearly as her name. How different things were back then.

She usually tried to not think about those days. Dwelling on the past was a distraction she didn't need; her attention had always been utilized to assure her survival and the survival of her friends. She couldn't _afford_ to visit the past.

But now, lying down on her tiny bed, surrounded by her old books, she felt a warm bubble that expanded from her chest, enveloping her, protecting her.

She was _safe_.

The acknowledgment of this fact let her relax her body, releasing tension she didn't know was there until it was gone. And with her body, her mind relaxed for the first time in what seemed like forever. She let out a sigh and allowed her mind to wander, to revisit the events that shaped her teenage years, and shaped her into the person she is now.

Annabeth thought of the day she left the comfort of her home and why she did it. She was surprised to see that the uncertainty was still there. She didn't have a solid answer with which to answer that question. _Why_ did she run away?

Of course, the logical apart of Annabeth's mind knew exactly why; she was a demigod. She couldn't have stayed with her dad and his newly found family when she attracted monsters of every kind every few weeks. She was a danger to them, and she acted accordingly.

But still, part of her wondered if maybe, there was another reason.

It was true that she didn't get along with her step-siblings; she wasn't exactly fond of the idea of having a new family. And with the increasing arguments after every problem she attracted, it was clear that this wasn't going to work for her. She was done getting blame for the instability of their family.

And the fact remains that her father wasn't exactly expecting her when she was delivered.

Or _thought of_ more accurately, Annabeth thought.Athena's children were brain children after all, as horrifying as it sounds. And so when Athena knocked at Fredrick's door, holding the tiny lump of meat that is Annabeth, he bargained with her to keep Annabeth. He wasn't expecting her, nor ready by any means. Of course that didn't stop him from caring for her or loving her. But the damage has been done.

Maybe that's what bothered Annabeth the most. Maybe this piece of information was the constant whisper in the back of her mind that told her to leave, to run away, to find herself elsewhere were people would appreciate her; a place made for kids _like_ her.

Camp Half-Blood.

By hard training and pure force of will, she would prove herself worthy of life, working twice as hard as anyone, and building over the foundation of her already set cleverness.

And it seemed like she's been on autopilot ever since, save for a few moments here and there when she's with her friends, her moments with Percy.

Annabeth shook her head. It doesn't matter _why_ she did it because she was glad she did it anyway. What would her life be if she didn't run in the middle of the night with her two older friends? Would she have met Percy and the others? Would she have been stuck in a house where she felt she was more of a burden than a member of its family?

No, she was glad she went through what she went through. Of course it would have been nicer without the whole going-through-hell-and-back thing, and a few more moments where she either almost died or was dying.

"Good grief, I need to be more careful." She laughed anxiously, placing the palm of her hand on her face.

A knock startled her thoughts away, and she looked at the door as it slowly squeaked open. Her dad's voice came through the tiny crack.

"Annabeth, are you ready yet? We're meeting Mat and Bobby in ten minutes, you know."

"Yeah, of course." She said, jumping of the bed hurriedly, surprised how fast time has passed. "I'll be ready in five."

"Okay honey." Fredrick said, closing the door. A heart beat later, he opened it a crack again. "Oh, and Annabeth?"

"Yes, dad?" She answered as she rummaged through her suit. He stayed silent for a few seconds.

"I'm glad you're back here." He said, "With me, I mean." Annabeth stopped her rampage and took a deep breath. She smiled.

"I'm glad too, dad." She said, meaning each and every word. "I am."


End file.
